Beginnings
by The Emcee
Summary: Merle was found dead on the roof when Rick, Daryl, Glenn and T-Dog went back. How has the discovery effected Daryl and Rick? And what does Shane think about their newfound relationship? Rick/Daryl, slight metion of Merle/Daryl. Onesided Shane/Rick slash


A/N: This is my first _Walking Dead_ story. I just started watching it last Wednesday and I absolutely love it. That being said, I had to write this. Tell me what you think! R&R. Enjoy!

**Beginnings**

Rick watched as Daryl's pick slammed into the skull of the walker lying on the ground. It had been hours since they had returned to camp, though it felt as if mere minutes had passed. When they realized that the camp had been under attack by a pack of walkers, they immediately began disposing of them. Merle's dead body had been pushed out of their minds. So had their encounter with Guillermo. But now that the chaos of the battle was over, everyone had time to process everything that had happened and _think._ Andrea mourned over Amy. Dale mourned for both sisters. Shane was pissed off. The rest felt fear and panic. Rick understood all of it. For some unfathomable reason, however, he was more concerned about Daryl's grief and anger than anything else.

It confused and worried him tremendously. After all, he had awakened just a few days ago from a coma. He had just found out that the world he had known was no more. Everything had changed and Rick found himself rapidly adapting to survive. His first thoughts had been on his son and then his wife. By some miracle, he had been reunited with them and had been more than relieved and happy. But something changed when his blue eyes fell on Daryl Dixon. There was always a first time for everything and this was definitely a first. Never before had he ever reacted this way to another person, not even Lori. Granted, he hadn't felt that special spark that he had when he first fell in love with her. Prior to meeting the young hunter, Rick had attributed his lack of luster to the fact that Lori had been snapping at him almost all the time.

And yet, here he was, watching Daryl Dixon caving in heads and feeling practically love sick for some reason that was completely out of his reach. This was the first time after meeting Lori that he's felt such a strong connection to another person. And it was a man nonetheless; another first. Yet he couldn't stop himself, even though he had no idea why he was feeling this way. More so than that, Rick couldn't help but feel completely responsible for Merle's premature death. He had cuffed the man to a piece of metal after all. If he hadn't done that then the man would still be here. No matter what he or anyone else told him, had Rick not done what he did then Merle would be here and his brother wouldn't be mourning.

Daryl was mourning. Being a deputy sheriff had taught Rick how to understand and read people and he was reading Daryl. Of course, it wasn't hard to tell that the younger man was incredibly upset. It was painfully obvious on his face and in his eyes. Rick may not have known Merle and Daryl very well, but he could tell that they were close. Very close.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop starin' at me." Daryl's voice, thick with emotions that were trying desperately to remain hidden, brought Rick out of his inner musings. His blue eyes met Daryl's glare and blinked.

"What?" Growling softly, Daryl rested his pick on his shoulder and glared at him. Rick couldn't help but notice how lost and alone the hunter looked. How young and vulnerable he looked…

"God, are ya deaf? I said t' stop starin' at me. You're pissin' me off."

But Rick _couldn't _stop staring. That was part of his problem. Daryl was just too beautiful to not look at. In addition to that, for some weird reason, he felt as though he related to Daryl and could understand him and be understood by him more than anyone else. More than Lori. More than Shane, even. And the more he thought about it, the more he wanted it, wanted Daryl. A fist to his face snapped him out of his train of thought. Daryl, enraged and seething, was taking his pain and suffering out on the only thing close enough that was alive: Rick. Another fist took aim, but Rick moved out of the way and charged at the younger man. He needed and wanted to explain, but explain what? With what words?

"Daryl. Daryl! Stop, damn it!" The younger man squirmed and fought back, but Rick had hold of him and wasn't going to let go until he was calm. Maybe not ever.

"Daryl, I understand what you're goin' through. I really do." A snarl escaped the hunter, but his struggling was futile. All he was going was wasting his energy, which didn't bother Rick one bit.

"Fuck you! You don't know nothin'!" Rick could feel Daryl trembling in his arms. He knew that the younger man was feeling angry and sad and so many other emotions. Rick knew what that felt like and he hated that Daryl was going through the same thing he went through.

"I just woke up after being unconscious for a long time. I had no idea the world fell apart and when I made it home, my family was gone. I thought I had lost them and would never see them again. So I think I do know what you're goin' through. Now, are ya gonna calm the fuck down and stop fightin' or what?"

Daryl continued to try and break free, but he eventually relaxed in Rick's arms. His body slumped and Rick listened as the younger man's walls broke down. At last, some progress had been made. Rick just didn't know if that had been a good thing or a bad thing.

**. . . . .**

Shane watched as Rick held onto the youngest Dixon brother. Their scuffle, however brief it had been, had caught almost everyone's attention. Between burying their own and burning the walkers with little to no conversation or talking going on, it had been hard to not watch. He knew that Rick took an immediate liking to Daryl. Hell, Rick liked almost everyone and tried to get alone with everyone. But there was something more going on. Something that seemed to surpass the normal level of camaraderie Rick usually gave. And Shane didn't like it.

Regardless of how many women he's slept with, Shane's number one obsession and the love of his life has always been Rick. Ever since they were awkward teenagers in high school going through puberty, Shane's been craving Rick like a drug. How could he not? Rick was beautiful. Bright blue eyes, dark hair, and that lean body of his… Rick had been enticing him ever since they were teenagers. He may not have known he was doing it, but Shane was well aware of Rick's every move. So he staked his claim while they were still teens and made sure that no one got too close.

And then Lori happened. She stole Rick away from him and Shane had hated her for it for the longest time. But as the years wore on, he realized something: Rick's feelings for Lori were dissipating. He didn't know why and didn't know for how long it had been going on, but they were. Lori could tell as well, which was why she was almost always angry at Rick. Shane knew that Rick didn't quite understand what was happening, but Shane was hoping that Rick was realizing that he belonged to no one but Shane. It may have taken Rick longer than Shane liked, but at least his best friend was getting there.

Then Rick had been shot. He had been in a come. And the world fell apart.

Shane tried to get Rick out, he really did, but his obsession and life-long love had simply refused to move. So, he put the gurney against the door to keep the walkers out and did the hardest thing he ever had to do: he left Rick. During all of the chaos, Shane didn't have time to think about Rick because there wasn't enough time. Afterwards, when the camp had been established, Shane's mind wandered to his best friend and the only one his heart called out to and what it would have been like to have him just once. Ever since then, Rick had been on his mind constantly. Hell, the only reason why he started his…relationship with Lori was because, aside from Carl, she was as close to Rick as he'd get. She wasn't him, no one could be him, but Shane would take what he could get. One time to have Rick, to claim him, was all Shane had ever wanted. He never thought he'd have that chance.

And now he knew for sure that he wouldn't.

When Rick came back from the dead or whatever hell he had been at, the rift that had formed between him and Lori was still there. Shane was shocked and amazed that Rick had survived, let alone find their group just outside Atlanta. But then, Daryl Dixon showed up and Rick left with him, Glenn and T-Dog to get Merle. And Shane could see as plain as day that Rick took an immediate liking to Daryl. He didn't like that at all and the sight before him made him want to hurt something, preferably Daryl Dixon.

They were still holding onto each other. Well, Rick was anyway. Daryl had stopped struggling and fighting, but he was still crying. He was trying hard not to, but Shane knew that the loss of a loved one was hard to bare. After all, he had thought that Rick was dead, so he could sympathize with Daryl on that. However, that wasn't enough for Daryl to be removed from Shane's shit list.

Shane could tell that a strong bond was beginning to form between Rick and Daryl and he hated it. He absolutely hated it.

**. . . . .**

Daryl didn't know what to do anymore.

Merle had always told him what to do, where to go, how it was. He may not have been the best big brother and influence, but Merle had always been all that he had ever had. Everything he had ever learned he learned from Merle. Hunting, tracking…things that shouldn't be mention unless behind closed doors and away from nosy pricks. Losing Merle had been hard. Very hard. Seeing his brother's barely recognizable remains on that roof flipped a switch inside of him. He had been in shock at first, but Daryl had known that he was a ticking time bomb reading to go off. Anything could have set him off.

It just so happened that Rick watching him had been it. He had always been confrontational. Not as much as Merle, but he still was and he had confronted Rick about his starin'. Regardless of the fact that Daryl actually kind of liked Rick and enjoyed having those blue eyes on him, watching, him. Hell, he even had a feeling that Rick was thinking about him. And he liked that. A lot more than he should've.

After he went off on the sheriff, Daryl finally let the flood gates open. It got too much to keep back. Merle was all he had. He was the only one who had ever cared about him. Now that he was gone, there was no one who'd give two shits if a walker got him or if he caved in and put a gun to his head. Then Rick started speaking. And his arms were around Daryl's hot, sweaty body and his lips were pressed against his ear. Lord, the feel of those lips against his ear made him shiver. That was when he broke down. Daryl didn't even care if he was crying or if the others had been watching them. For the first time in his life, he had felt safe and secure, even if losing Merle was drivin' him up the freakin' wall.

Later, after the geeks had been burned and their own buried (stupid Chinaman), Rick forced Daryl into his tent before he went to talk to Lori. Daryl may not have known Rick or Lori every well (or anyone else for that matter), but he could tell that their relationship was no good. She seemed so damn undecided and pushy, and her fling or whatever the hell it was with Shane wasn't going to help Rick out when he found out. And he would. Hell, anyone with eyes could see the looks those two gave each other; only a moron would be so blind. Shit like that had a tendency to come back and bite people in their asses. And Rick…well, he had just come back from being knocked out in a hospital. Hell, Daryl _had_ just met the man. But he knew that Rick hated confrontation. Reason and delegation were how he handled things.

Daryl thought that was fucking stupid. Sure, Rick may have been a good guy, but no one could avoid confrontation and he had gone into the viper's pit when he went looking for Lori. He had no idea where Rick and Lori were, but he could hear them. They were arguing. Over him, by the sound of it. Lori didn't like him. Very few people did. She wanted Rick to come back to their tent with her instead of going to Daryl. After Lord knows how long, the shouting stopped and Rick returned. Shock and disbelief spread throughout him; no one ever gave anything up for him. So why would Rick? When he asked him about it, in his usually rude and snarky way, Rick told him more than he had expected.

"Because I care about you. More than I should for some reason. Because I can't and don't want to deal with Lori's anger at me anymore. Because I don't feel the same for her as I used to. It had been happening before I even got shot. The only reason I tried to keep calm was because of Carl and the fact that she's the mother of my child. I haven't loved her as a wife for a while now." Rick's blue eyes locked with his own for a brief moment before he continued.

"Then I met you. Saw you. Spoke to ya, even though you were pissed at me. I don't understand it, but I like you. A lot. I wanna be near you. I may be scared and I may not know what I'm doing here exactly, but I won't go against what my gut is telling me. Not on this. We just met and we don't know each other very well; I get that. But if you're willin' to give whatever this may or may not be a try, then I am." Words were out of Daryl's mouth before he had time to think.

"I ain't gonna be the reason for your marriage fallin' apart. Are ya kiddin' me?"

"My marriage was already fallin' apart. I already told you: I care about you. A lot. Just…let me."

Daryl looked down and thought for a moment before he looked back up at Rick and nodded. He was unsure and scared and he had no idea what kind of cluster fuck he was getting into. But when Rick's lips pressed against his own, Daryl found it hard to think about anything at all. He may not have understood any of it, but he got enough of it that he knew he liked Rick. Not only that, but he felt safe with him and as though he really did matter to someone aside from his bother.

And that was good enough for him.

**The End**

A/N: So, did you like it? Love it? Hate it? Thought it was okay? Let me know! I may or may not do a sequel to this. It depends. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!


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